Automatic fire-extinguisher



(No Model.)

. W. S. PURIPOY;

AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

No, 488,832. Patented Dec. 27, 1892.

7 wzzjmssz's v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

l/VILLIAM SCOTT PURIFOY, OF FURMAN, ALABAMA.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,832, dated December27, 1892.

Application filed March 26. 1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ScoTT PURI- FOY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Furman, in the county of \Vilcox and State ofAlabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in AutomaticFire-Extinguishers; and I do hereby declare the followin g to be a full,clear, and exact description of said invention, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates-to new and useful improvements in automaticfire-extinguishers. and is particularly designed for use in suchbuildings where, from the nature of the work done and the material anddevices employed in certain manufactures, the conditions are presentwhich would increase the liability of the place to take fire and at thesame time offer the means at the starting of the blaze for furtherdestructive results.

The object of the invention, therefore, is to provide an extinguishingdevice which will be operated automatically by the fire, the sameconsisting of. a suitable vessel filled with water or otherfire-extinguishing liquid and sus pended in such place as prudence maydetermine, the vessel being normally held in its upright position bymeans of a fusible strap to which fire is communicated by a fuse, andwhich when parted by the fire permits the vessel, which is slightly heldout of equilibrium on its pivotal support, to invert itself anddischarge the contents on the fire underneath and around it.

The invention also consists in certain other novel features in theconstruction and arrangement of parts, all, as hereinafter fullyexplained.

In the accompanying drawings in which the invention is fullyillustrated,I have shown in Figure 1 a perspective view of the fire-extinguisher inits complete form and ready for use, the cover of the nozzle orsprinkler being shown removed. In Fig. 2,a detailed view is shown of thecatch for temporarily holding the vessel in its upright position, saidcatch being shown out of engagement.

The vessel A, may be of any convenient form or size and is provided atits top, or discharge end with a contracted or neck portion Serial No.426,610. (No model.)

B, which together with the sprinkler O, for giving the water as wide adistribution as possible, forms a nozzle for giving force to thedischarge of water. The vessel A, is permanently supported by the bailD, which connects with and forms a continuation of the rods E, whichrods are pivotally secured to the vessel A, at the point F, below thecenter of gravity and to the right thereof, so that when the vessel isfreed of its fusible support it will invert itself and discharge itscontents.

The vessel A, is provided on its exterior with a tube G which extends upfrom the bottom where it communicates with the interior, of the vessel,to the top or water level of said vessel, and by means of which thevessel is filled, the height of the water therein determined at any timeand an air inlet furnished to the vessel when inverted to allow the freedischarge of the water. This tube G, is fitted with a cover H, which issecured to the device by a chain or other suitable connecting medium andfalls off by its own weight, as does the cover I, fitting the sprinkler0, when the vessel A, is inverted.

The strap J, which forms the fusible support to keep the vessel in itsupright position connects with the rods E, at about their central pointand extends around one half of the vessel. The vessel is held normally,by the strap, in an upright position, but the vessel having its greatestweight on the side up which the tube G, extends, will tip in thedirection of said tube.

On the rod E,is provided a suitable fixture for temporarily holding thevessel in an up right position while the fusible strap is beingadjusted. The device consists of a clasp O, pivotally secured to the rodE, so that it can be brought up close around the rod or swung outtherefrom at its top. This clasp O,is provided with a projection L,which when said clasp is brought against the rod E at its top willengage the lug or projection M, on the plate N secured to the vessel,and by such engagement hold the vessel in its upright position. A pin P,is provided to lock the clasp when raised which extends through bothclasp and rod. When the fusible band is adjusted and the device properlysuspended the clasp O, is turned'down and out of use.

The strap J,is held out from the side of the vessel by the tube G, whichallows the fire communicated to the strap to attack it from all sides.The strap may be composed of any suitable material and at the points a,a, is

made very inflammable either by saturation with nitric acid or otherliquid or by the incorporation of inflammable substances therein. To thebelt or strap at the points a, a, is preferably secured a coiled wire I)through which a fuse extends and is held connected to the strap.

The operation of the device briefly described is as follows: Theextinguisher being suspended by the bail D,in any desirable place,a fireoriginating in any near vicinity Will ignite the fuse and becommunicated thereby to the strap J, at the point a. When the strap J,isparted the vessel A, will turn on its trunnions at F, in seeking itscenter of gravity and invert itself, whereupon the cover I, will dropoff the sprinkler C, and the Water be discharged through the openings(1. The sprinkler is of convex form and provided with a large surface,and the Water is thereby given a Wide distribution. In the inversion ofthe vessel the cover II, of tube G, also comes off and permits the airto enter the vessel A, the vacuum caused by the inversion drawing thewater from the tube G.

There it is desired to connect several of the extinguishers together bya fuse, the continuous fuse may extend through the opening 6 in thefusible portion of the strap and the fuse protected by a trough or othersuitable means.

Any number of extinguishers can be arranged either singly, or connectedby a continuous fuse, and the building may also be provided with fusingarranged to operate the extinguishers at a distance from the source ofthe fire in order to Wet Walls, floors and property contained therein,and such are clearly Within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim'and desire to secure byLetters Patcut, is:

In an automatic fire extinguisher, the vessel A, supported by the bail DE pivotally connected thereto at a point below its center of gravity, astrap J, connected to the bail and extending partly around the vessel,to normally hold the same in an upright position, adapted to be partedby the communication of fire thereto, air inlet tube G, communicatingwith the interior of the vessel A, at its bottom and the sprinkler G,for the discharge of the Water, substantially as described and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature in presence of two subscribingWitnesses.

\VILLIAM SCOTT PURIFOY.

Witnesses;

J. H. WA'rsoN, W. J. J. Hunstr.

